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Q1 Please check the all the affiliations and the inserted city names, and amend if necessary.

No abstract

The aim of this project was to examine the relationships between driver behaviour and driving events during a journey and the behavioural responses of sheep to these events. Driving style can have a major influence on the welfare of the animals by affecting the risk of injury and by disturbing the ability of the sheep to rest. Two drivers each drove groups of 10 sheep in a 5·5-tonne, single-deck, non-articulated livestock vehicle on five 7-h road journeys consisting of minor roads, main single carriageways and a motorway. The driver, the driver’s view through the windscreen, the speedometer and the sheep were video recorded. Differences in driving style were identified as differences in vehicle speed, rapid braking and the number of corners taken with high cornering g-force. Differences in driving style had a slight effect on the frequency of losses of balance by the sheep and a more significant effect on the degree of disturbance to the sheep and on their ability to rest during the journey. Losses of balance were common, but falls were rare. About 80% of the losses of balance could have been caused by driving events, such as acceleration, braking, stopping, cornering, gear changes and uneven road surfaces. Only about 22% of driving events were followed by a loss of balance. It is likely that driving events were also responsible for many interruptions to both lying behaviour and rumination. Clear benefits of motorway driving compared with single carriageway driving were fewer losses of balance, more lying down, more rumination and fewer disturbances amongst the sheep. This study provides evidence that would be useful for driver training and education to promote careful driving as a means of ensuring the welfare of animals in-transit. The quality of the journey experienced by sheep during transport is dependent upon a number of factors that can be influenced by the driver of the vehicle.

One of the 'grand challenges' of this age is the anthropogenic impact exerted on the nitrogen cycle. Issues of concern range from an excess of fixed nitrogen resulting in environmental pressures for some regions, while for other regions insufficient fixed nitrogen affects food security and may lead to health risks. To address these issues, nitrogen needs to be managed in an integrated fashion, at a variety of scales (from global to local). Such management has to be based on a thorough understanding of the sources of reactive nitrogen released into the environment, its deposition and effects. This requires a comprehensive assessment of the key drivers of changes in the nitrogen cycle both spatially, at the field, regional and global scale and over time. In this focus issue, we address the challenges of managing reactive nitrogen in the context of food production and its impacts on human and ecosystem health. In addition, we discuss the scope for and design of management approaches in regions with too much and too little nitrogen. This focus issue includes several contributions from authors who participated at the N2013 conference in Kampala in November 2013, where delegates compiled and agreed upon the 'Kampala Statement-for-Action on Reactive Nitrogen in Africa and Globally'. These contributions further underline scientifically the claims of the 'Kampala Statement', that simultaneously reducing pollution and increasing nitrogen available in the food system, by improved nitrogen management offers win-wins for environment, health and food security in both developing and developed economies. The specific messages conveyed in the Kampala Statement focus on improving nitrogen management (I), including the reduction of nitrogen losses from agriculture, industry, transport and energy sectors, as well as improving waste treatment and informing individuals and institutions (II). Highlighting the need for innovation and increased awareness among stakeholders (III) and the identification of policy and technology solutions to tackle global nitrogen management issues (IV), this will enable countries to fulfil their regional and global commitments.